CORE-014: COMPARATIVE PATHOLOGY AND MOUSE PHENOTYPING (CPMPSR) PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT The Comparative Pathology and Mouse Phenotyping Shared Resource (CPMPSR) provides expert, readily available and affordable pathology support to investigators utilizing animal models to study human cancer. The use of animal models in cancer research, particularly inbred and genetically engineered mice, has increased exponentially over the past several years due to technological advances and completion of the sequencing of the human and mouse genomes. Virtually every OSUCCC member utilizing experimental animal models will need at least some of the services provided by the CPMPSR. The Specific Aims of the CPMPSR are: 1) to provide support for preclinical efficacy and toxicity studies utilizing a variety of animal species; 2) to provide consultative services to OSUCCC investigators for optimal experimental design, sample submission and data analysis, recommendations as needed for various ancillary tests, referrals to other OSUCCC shared resources and cores, and referrals to investigators' laboratories with specific expertise (e.g., more specialized clinical pathology testing, electron microscopy, imaging, behavioral and physiological testing); and, 3) to provide consultations to investigators at the time of grant applications and manuscript submissions by providing details about methods and pathologic findings. The services provided by CPMPSR, directed by Dr. Krista La Perle include macroscopic and microscopic tissue evaluations, clinical pathology testing, comprehensive histology and immunohistochemistry, microscopic slide imaging and quantitative analysis. The CPMPSR also provides comprehensive phenotypic characterization of genetically-engineered mice, including detailed characterization of embryos. Radiography is performed by the CPMPSR to enhance morphologic evaluations on post-mortem specimens. The CPMPSR regularly interacts with other OSUCCC shared resources such as the Microscopy Shared Resource and Biomedical Informatics Shared Resource. Over the past grant period, the CPMPSR was utilized by all five OSUCCC Research Programs studying carcinogenesis and using preclinical models for drug development. CPMPSR provided services to 117 OSUCCC members, and these members accounted for 53% of usage. The CPMPSR has also supported the research for 93 cancer publications, of which 11 were published in journals with an impact factor >10. The CPMPSR supported 9 programmatic grants (e.g., P01s and SPOREs). The future plans of the CPMPSR are to add capacity through the hiring of an additional pathologist, providing additional immunohistochemistry services and upgrading existing software. The CPMPSR leverages extensive institutional support, and seeks only 6.5% support from CCSG funds. The Comparative Pathology and Mouse Phenotyping Shared Resource is part of the Diagnostics Grouping.